so this is what my once favorite forum has turned into. so much learning going on, so much insight. so many claims and bits and pieces of distorted facts. what is the point to this again?

i know, i know i'm an old practitioner of the art, a lil over 10 years doesn't make me a master. And sure i am not all crazy about finding out the history of some of the top figures in the big money making Organizations. no i dont want to find out what they had for dinner last saturday or political moves they made.

I am curious about the art they studied, and the other arts that influenced them. I'm curious about technique and application. Their approach and teaching methodologies. all this investigation on the organizations political history, why not go IRS on them and find out how much each person mad in revenues ^^ thats something that is just as important as those questions above.

This type of stuff has been a part of TKD forever, its nothing new. The politics are part of its history, and though you may not enjoy it, there are those who still like to debate it. I would be willing to bet it comes up in other arts as well. Its just one of those things you need to weed thru and pass by if it doesn't interest you, thats all.

TKD I think has no more internal politics than other like organizations. What makes TKD so bad with politics is that the Art was born into a very political situation, an occupied country, a country split into 2, a country destroyed by a civil war, a country taken over by a military coup, a country ran by 3 military dictatorships in a row, a country that went from 3rd world status to the 10 largest economy in the world in 3,4-5 decades, a country still divided into 2 & still technically at war for 57 years & a national MA that some consider a sport & a national MA that has made it into the Olympics & a national MA that has clear ties to its former occupier, Japan, that few want to acknowledge

I happen to know Shane Astwood and he was graded to 2nd Dan 4 years ago, I was there to watch him earn it. Then 2 years after that he was graded to 3rd and I watched him earn that too. If you work hard with the ITF and fulfil your time requirement with them and know all of your grading material then you will be invited to grade. 2yrs on 2nd Dan. 3 yrs on 3rd Dan etc with up to 6 months taken off for official participation in ITF seminars, international instructor courses and the like. But then you still have to perform and pass, which he did. He didn't leave a break away of a break away, he found his way to the the true taekwondo.

Yes the minimum time line for 1st degree is 1-3years, depending on hours trained & progess. Most commercial schools do it in around 3-4 years. To go to 2nd Dan, it is 1.5 years & 2nd to 3rd is 2 years. Of course progress has to be made as well. These are only min times, nothing precludes waiting longer. In addition, the IIC did allow a 1x 6 month deduction in waiting time. However, when they (IIC) went from 2 weeks to 1 week then to a weekend, it was changed. Now each of the ITFs have some deduction in waiting times, but they are not all the same. As far as I know, the deduction time, only applies to certified IICs, not other seminars, classes, courses or other special training.

People who do Rhee Taekwondo in Australia are, for the most part, are referred to as Rhee-tards. Or so I've heard. I struggle with Rhee taekwondo practitioners speaking of speed and power if they don't utilise sine wave.